Heart on My Sleeve
by xxkoigirlxx
Summary: Bella moves from Phoenix to Forks, WA to get away from an abusive relationship. She has sworn off all romantic relationships.....until she meets Edward. He seems like the perfect guy, but, can she ever trust her heart to someone else again?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Heart on My Sleeve

Description - Bella moves from Phoenix to Forks, WA to get away from an abusive relationship. She has sworn off all romantic relationships.....until she meets Edward. He seems like the perfect guy, but, can she ever trust her heart to someone else again?

**Disclaimer - All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not own Twilight, or anything for that matter.**

Chapter 1 - Escape

BPOV

As I boarded the plane in Phoenix, I had to stifle the urge to look behind me and make sure James wasn't following me. I knew that was unlikely, but still, with all the turmoil he had put me through over the last year, him trailing me was not an option I could dismiss. I thought of Renee and the tears sprung to my eyes. I hated leaving her, but I had to get away, to escape the life that had become my personal hell. I could still hear her words clearly.

_"Bella, are you sure this is what you want to do? Maybe if we get the police involved..."_

But she knew as well as I, that even if we did, it still wasn't going to make this place feel any more bearable. I had given it a lot of thought, and I knew that moving to Forks to live with my Dad was the only way to break away and get a fresh start. Renee understood that, and she tried not to cling, but I knew it was partly because she felt responsible for not seeing how bad things were getting. I wasn't upset with her. More, I was angry at myself, absolutely livid, for not seeing James for the monster he was, and letting things drag out and for not being stronger. Yes, I definitely needed this change, and Renee would be fine. She understood, even though she may not have liked my decision one hundred percent.

As I settled in my seat for the flight, I thought about the changes in what I considered my "new life." The most important thing to me was that I was going to be strong. I don't mean physically strong. I was a very non-athletic kind of girl, and pretty much a klutz. I was going to be mentally and emotionally strong. And I determined to find that strength within myself. That was the key. I didn't have the typical scared feeling one should get when going through an identity-crisis. On the contrary, I was very excited and looked forward to getting to know myself. This was something I _needed_ to do, and it was as essential as breathing.

The next most important things was that I had sworn off any kind of romantic relationship. I had always felt like I didn't do well with being alone. I always felt like I needed to be a part of a pair in order to be a whole, that I could not be a complete person on my own. During younger days, I flitted from boyfriend to boyfriend, most only lasting a few months. I would tire of them easily, or realize that they weren't my type. That happened a lot, and I think it was mostly because I just went with my current crush before really getting to know him. My girl friends would joke with me and ask me who my "guy du jour" was, and I'd laugh along with them. Now as I looked back, I felt disgusted at myself. At the time, being known as somewhat of a player was kind of humorous to me. But even then, it had gotten old after a while, and I decided on a new conquest: a long term boyfriend.

I knew I could have almost any guy I chose, but it wasn't enough. It was like a game to me, and like a child, I got bored with it. That's when I met James. He was so confident, so sure of himself, and he seemed so much more mature than the other guys I had dated. I had made up my mind, James would be my first, the one I would build a relationship with. It was easy to connect with him, since he hung around in the same circle of friends as me. I had seen him before, but never really paid much attention to him, since he didn't seem the type to have a fling. Pretty much, I had no use for him before. That's not to say I was rude to him or anything, but he just wasn't much more than an acquaintance.

I started showing up to things I knew he'd be at, football games, parties at mutual friends houses, etc. I decided that I needed to take a different approach, since my desired outcome was different than my prior goals. I would start talking to someone who was sitting near him and then start drawing him into the conversation. He was perfect, smart, witty, and with a little bit of a dark side to him. I would almost call him mysterious. While we ran in the same crowd, I didn't really know that much about him. It wasn't that he kept to himself necessarily, but that he never really shared anything personal. This intrigued me. It didn't take long before I could approach him and start talking specifically to him. Then I laid on the flirting, just a little bit, to get his attention. I was almost amazed at my skills.

The day came on a Friday evening at the high school football game. It was late fall and the weather had really cooled off. It was almost unseasonably chilly. I had not come dressed for the weather, in my thin top. I was sitting on the bleachers, and the cold metal only made matters worse. I felt like I was freezing. James was sitting behind me, one level up. He saw me shiver and asked me if I was cold. I hoped this was my opening, and I was overjoyed when he spread his knees apart and told me to scoot back so I could share his body heat. As I sat there, he put his hands on my shoulders. He leaned down to my ear and told me that he was glad I had not worn a jacket, because now he had an excuse to get close to me. I told him that being close to him was a great reason to be cold. By the end of the night he had put his jacket around my shoulders and hugged me to him to keep me warm. We held hands as he walked me to my car and there we had our first kiss. My plan had gone perfectly, and I was very pleased with myself.

If you had ever told me things were going to turn out the way they did, I would have laughed at you. James was perfect. A perfect gentleman, a perfect kisser, a perfect everything. Or so I had thought. Hindsight being 20/20, I could look back now and see the signs that there were some major flaws in our relationship. At the time though, I ignored those little twinges of alarm, convincing myself that this was new territory for me, cultivating a long term relationship, and these things needed time, and that I should be expected to look the other way on occasion and ignore things that didn't seem one hundred percent right to me. Relationships needed sacrifice in order to work out. When James became very possessive of me, I told myself it was sweet, he cared about me and just wanted to protect me. When he demanded that I spend all of my extra time with him and only him, I told myself it was that he loved me so much he couldn't stand to be apart from me. When he became extremely jealous, I told myself we had such a connection that he couldn't stand the thought of me being with someone else. When he because controlling, I told myself it was his devotion to me that made him want the best for me. He somehow drew me in, like he had this power over me that I couldn't resist. By the time I realized everything for what it was, realized that he was a monster, it was too late.

And that brought me to now. I was escaping James, running away from my old life and ready and eager to start my new life in a new town. And I was taking everything in with a new outlook. I refused to let myself get caught up in another mess like the one I was leaving. Through my nightmare of a life, I had realized that it was time for me to be my own person. This was my time to come into myself, my time to become strong and able all on my own. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I resolved to put forth all the effort it took to learn to do it on my own. I did not need a guy in order to feel whole. I did not need a romance of any length to validate myself. I had no desire to date whatsoever, and for the first time in my life, I was happy to be alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer - All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not own Twilight, or anything for that matter.**

Chapter 2 - Fresh Start

BPOV

The flight was uneventful and before long, I was sitting in the front seat of Charlie's police cruiser, headed for home. Charlie had the bare minimum of details. He knew that I had broken up with my boyfriend, and that I needed a change of scenery, but that was really about it. We didn't have the kind of close relationship where I could tell him everything, and frankly, it would have been way too much information for him to handle. I knew from overhearing a telephone conversation he'd had with Renee that he was concerned that this was just a temporary fix for me, that I'd get here, quickly get bored of life in small town Forks, and want to go back to Phoenix. I knew how much he wanted me here, and how much it would break his heart for that to happen. Given the lack of detail I was willing to share with him, there was really nothing I could say to him to convince him that I was genuine in my desire to be here, and that it was not just a band-aid I was placing on the wound of my broken heart. I had resolved myself to show him my pleasure of living with him and my happiness to be here, since I couldn't tell him. I had already planned some of his favorite meals to cook.

We had some light small talk in the car, and then we settled into a comfortable silence. That's one of the things I loved about Charlie. He rarely pushed, and he didn't feel the need to talk just for conversations sake. He was simple, and to me, that was like heaven. We pulled up and I got out of the cruiser and just stood there smiling at the house. It wasn't huge or spectacular, but it was _home._ It was a place where James did not fit in my memory, or in my life, and I couldn't have been happier to be here. Charlie grabbed my bags and took them up to my room for me. I stepped in and took a deep breath, relishing the scent of my new surroundings. I had many fond childhood memories of spending summers with Charlie here, but since I had gotten to be a teenager I hadn't been back. I cringed at the thought of how that must have hurt Charlie. That was all water under the bridge though, and I would try my best to make it up to him. I got upstairs and opened my bedroom door to a huge surprise. Charlie had it repainted and I was now the owner of a new matching bedroom suite, complete with desk and vanity. I felt guilty, knowing that Charlie was doing whatever he could to make me feel happy and comfortable here enough to stay. Since he wasn't the emotional type, this was what he came up with.

"Dad!! You shouldn't have!" I said, shocked at the difference of the room from my childhood.

"Do you like it?" Charlie asked me, worriedly.

"I absolutely love it! You're the best!" I gave him a big hug and a peck on the cheek.

Charlie blushed. "The saleslady said if you don't like the color, we can change it for you. I wasn't sure what your favorite color or style was, but I wanted it to be surprise, so I didn't ask. Figured you'd know something was up if your old dad started asking you decorating questions."

I think that was the most I had heard Charlie say at one time. "It's perfect. Really. And, Dad?" I looked over at him flashing him my sweetest smile. "Thank you."

Charlie left and went downstairs mumbling about something he had to take care of, and I unzipped my duffel bag getting ready to unpack. He really had outdone himself with the redecorating of my room. Gone was the bed with the squeaky mattress springs and mismatched second hand furniture. Now I had a room that any teenaged girl would be pleased with. Instead of a twin bed, I now had a full sized sleigh bed, in a rich dark cherry wood finish. The bedspread pattern had chocolate brown, some turquoise and some delicate gold threads running through it. The worn faded curtains had been replaced with new ones that echoed the pattern on the bedding. The wooden floor was now covered with a plush area rug that coordinated with everything else. I had a good-sized dresser in the same wood as the bed, a vanity with a little stool, and a desk, complete with modem for my laptop. A great lamp sat on the desk, giving me a good space to do school work. There was also a small bookcase. Charlie knew I was an avid reader and I thought it was very sweet of him to give me a place for my beloved books. The walls were painted a soothing coffee with cream color and there were framed photographs hung on the wall, some of me with Charlie, some of me with Renee, along with some funky artwork. He had to have gotten help with this. Charlie's idea of interior decorating left something to be desired. I finished putting away my things and headed downstairs to start working on dinner.

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During dinner, Charlie seemed unusually quiet, even for him. He just seemed like he was in a generally foul mood. I hoped I hadn't done anything inadvertently to upset him. I couldn't take the tension anymore, so I just came right out and asked him.

"Ch-Dad, is something wrong?" I inquired. "I mean, you didn't go and take a disliking to steak and potatoes since I saw you last, did you?" I threw in there, to try to break the mood.

Charlie gave a big sigh. "No, Bells. Dinner is wonderful. You keep cooking meals like this and I'm going to get spoiled!" I remembered that Charlie didn't cook and lived off of microwave dinners and the diner when I was away. "It's just..." another sigh, "well...I had a kind of a surprise for you, a welcome home present as it were, and I was hoping it would be here by now, but it got a little held up." He looked up at me sheepishly before stuffing another bite of steak in his mouth.

"A welcome home present?" I asked, quite a bit shocked. "Dad, you re-did my bedroom for me, and it's wonderful. In fact, it's more than I could have asked for. Really. I don't need anything else." I began to feel guilty hoping that Charlie didn't feel obligated to shower me with material goods to get me to stay. Believe it or not, I was determined to make this work, no matter the cost.

"Oh, Bells. I know you didn't ask for anything, but, well, I just want this to feel like home to you."

"It _is_ home to me, Dad. And not because of anything you put in it. It's home because _you're_ here." My voice broke a bit on that last part, because it was true. Charlie would never know just how much I needed to be here.

"Aw, Bella." He just sat there, fork in mid-air, not sure what to say. We rarely had emotional moments like this, and I'm not sure he knew what to do. He eventually cleared his throat and said, "Well, I may as well tell you what it was. I guess it will still be a surprise. Do you remember Billy Black?"

Billy Black was my dad's closest friend. He was Indian, and lived on the reservation in La Push. When I was a child, we'd go fishing with him and spend time with his family, having cookouts and just hanging around together. "Of course I remember Billy. How's he doing?"

"Well," Charlie began, "He's doing okay, uses a wheelchair now, but he's still just as ornery as ever." He let out a chuckle. "Anyway, he has an old truck that he isn't driving anymore and, well, I figured you'd need some transportation out here, you know? Pretty sure it would mortify any teenager being seen getting out of your father's cruiser every day for school. You know, kill your chances at a social life or some such."

I thought about the social life I left behind. Maybe if I _had_ been seen getting out of a police car I wouldn't have ended up in this mess. I didn't have the heart to tell Charlie that I didn't have many plans of having any kind of social life here in Forks.

"Dad, don't tell me that you bought it for me?" I said in disbelief. The one material possession I was sad to leave behind was my car back in Phoenix. I enjoyed the freedom I had to drive wherever I wanted to and to not depend on other people for a ride. I thought I would be sacrificing that freedom here. The thought of having my own way to get around here was thrilling.

"Well, don't go getting too excited on me. It's not much, to be honest, it's pretty old, but it runs well. Jacob, you know, Billy's boy, he works on cars and he tuned it up and said it's all set for you. I was expecting them to drop it off earlier, but they haven't showed up yet," Charlie said, explaining his sour mood.

"It's no big deal, Dad. It'll get here when it gets here. And don't worry, it's still a _huge _surprise!" By that time, we were done eating, and so I started to clean up the dishes. Charlie stood there waiting to see if I wanted help, but I shooed him away and watched him walk into the living room and sit down and turn the television on. Wow. I hadn't even been here a whole day and I already felt like a new person. I had a new room, a new-to-me truck on the way, and I could see myself beginning to like it here. I felt like a ton of weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. Perhaps this change wouldn't be as tough as I thought it would.

As I was drying the dishes and putting them away, I heard a low rumble outside of the house. Wondering what it was, I peeked out the curtains. It was my new wheels!

"Bells, they're here!" Charlie exclaimed. I felt like a kid on Christmas day going out to see the truck.

The truck was old, somewhat rusted, and quite a bit loud, but it had character and I liked it. I threw my arms around Charlie and gave him a huge hug. He just patted my back stiffly, not sure what to make of my affection.

"Bella, you remember Jacob, right?" he asked me.

"Hmmm," I thought, digging back to memories tucked away long ago. I looked up and saw a very good-looking boy, muscles bulging underneath his shirt, long, silky black hair tied back in a ponytail. I remembered him, but not like this! "Yeah, of course I remember. We used to play together as kids, right?"

Jacob looked at me and smiled, flashing the most perfect set of teeth I think I had ever seen. "Yep, that's me!" He led me to the truck giving me some information about it and how to take care of it while Charlie and Billy started talking about how the fish were biting and planning some fishing trip.

I stole a glance at Jacob as he ran strong hands over the fender in an almost loving fashion. I thought about those hands and how good they would feel… Ugh! I really had to stop that. Despite my determination to remain celibate, I was still a teenage girl, and I still had hormones. Those hormones were screaming out to me at this very moment. I had to mentally chide myself to knock it off. I had _no_ intentions of going there, so there was no reason for my mind to either.

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Later that night, as I lay in my bed, I thought about my new life. I could definitely see myself being happy here. It shouldn't be too hard to get into a comfortable routine. If nothing else, I was pretty adaptable. I was looking forward to quiet nights and what I hoped would be lack of stress. I was a little worried about starting in a new school. I had never had problems making new friends before, but in a small town like Forks, I was afraid that since most of the kids grew up here, they'd already have their social circles and I'd end up being treated like an outsider. But then again, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. I knew I didn't want anything to do with guys, but I hadn't given much thought to what it would be like without at least one good friend to confide in. Of course, there really wasn't anyone I would ever trust to confide in regarding my current situation and the reason I moved here. I made a mental note to do my best to put the past behind me, turned over and pulled the covers up and drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow was a new day, and I hoped to be well rested enough to deal with whatever it brought me.


	3. Chapter 3 Ghosts of the Past

Disclaimer - All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not own Twilight, or anything for that matter.

Chapter 3 - Ghosts of the past

I slept pretty well those first couple of nights. I think part of it was mild jet lag, and the other part was that I was so much more relaxed. I didn't realize just how much tension I had been carrying around with me in Phoenix. It occurred to me that this was the first time I hadn't had a headache in so long I couldn't remember. Worry and fretting had become a part of my daily routine back there, and I was relieved to find that they were no longer my constant companions. It was strange, for sure, but a good strange.

I had flown in on a Saturday, and I spent a majority of Sunday doing mundane things like household chores (Charlie was not the best housekeeper) and grocery shopping to stock up the pantry. I left Charlie to his own devices and did my little domestic duties with a sense of peace. It was odd to take such comfort in things that most girls my age would balk at doing. It made me feel old. Then again, I suppose, after all I had been through, that I was older in spirit than my female counterparts. Speaking of which, I was surprised to discover that I really didn't miss my friends at all. I guess that shouldn't be so shocking though; it wasn't as if I had spent a lot of time with my friends in these last few months anyway. James had been very effective at cutting me off from just about everyone else in my life other than him. It all happened so gradually; I didn't notice it until the end. I didn't even contact any of them to tell them I was leaving. I wasn't sure that they'd care anyway. When I finally broke things off with James, I had excommunicated myself from my social circle. They were friends with him first, so I assumed they'd take his side of things. He was such a fantastic story teller, there's no telling what he'd told them, and I knew I couldn't compete with anything he came up with to explain to them regarding why we were no longer a couple. Maybe the truth would, but I had no intentions of baring my soul to them. I had been alone there, and it saddened me. I was alone now, and it felt right. It was strange how things like that could turn around.

On the way home, I glanced into the rear view mirror, and my heart leaped into my throat. There was a blue mustang that just turned onto the street behind me. I felt my breath coming in short gasps, and willed myself not to panic. When I reached the stoplight, it pulled up beside me and I thought I was going to scream. I squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep breath, and looked over ...and I felt like an idiot. It wasn't blue. It was black. Some middle-aged woman with bright red hair looked over at me and smiled. All my breath came out in a whoosh. How ridiculous of me to think it was James. He didn't know where I was. Heck, no one in Phoenix, save for Renee, knew where I was. I focused on my breathing as the light turned green and I drove back home.

When I pulled up into the driveway, I had to sit for a few minutes to calm myself. My hands were shaking so badly, it took me a couple of minutes just to get the keys out of the ignition. Thankfully, Charlie wasn't home from his fishing trip yet, so I had some time to compose myself. I busied myself getting the groceries into the house and put away and planning that night's meal. I got everything done, including dinner prep, in a record amount of time. I was walking aimlessly around the house searching for something to occupy my mind when my eyes lit on the shabby photo album on the shelf in the living room. I pulled it out and flopped down on the couch and started flipping through the pages. Memories flooded back to me as I scanned each photo. I had looked at these same pictures time and again as a child, sitting on Charlie's lap, and then later, cuddled up next to him on this same couch. The early pictures were mostly of me as a baby, including some with both Renee and Charlie. They looked so happy. It was hard to imagine them being so much in love. My mom had left Forks with me when I was very small. She didn't like being in a small town, and it had never been her intention to stay. When Charlie wouldn't consider a move, she took me and split. Baggage from the past and all, I was pretty sure Charlie was afraid I'd do the same, get fed up and leave.

The rest of the photos were of me from the time we left Forks, up until recent years. Some of them were school pictures, or snapshots that Renee sent Charlie. Others were pictures Charlie had taken when I was with him for visitation. I sat looking at the well-worn pages, wondering how many times Charlie had sat here alone, viewing photo after photo, missing his daughter and the life he once had. He never moved on from Renee, never dated or had any desire to be married again some day. It was like his heart was broken and it was just too painful to put back together. I guess he and I had more in common than I thought, although my situation was a bit more on the violent side. As I got near the end, one picture leaped out at me from the page. It was taken at Prom, with James. It looked like the typical teenage dance photo; couple all dressed up, girl standing in front, with boy behind reaching around in front of her, with their hands laid on each other's. They looked carefree, happy, and in love.

Only I could see the truth. The girl had a fake smile plastered on her face. She was very uncomfortable standing there. The boy had told her earlier that he didn't like her dress. He had said it made her look too confident, too sure of herself. She would have changed into something else if she'd had another option, just to escape his cruel leers and hurtful words all night long. Rather than seeing arms lovingly placed around the girl, I saw possession. She was his and his alone, and she was locked in the prison of his arms with his power over her being the key. Her eyes were not sparkling with love; they were shining with tears that lingered just below the surface. The glint in his eyes was not one of merriment. It was the glint of something deeper and darker, of the monster that lie within him. I didn't realize I was crying until the tears dripped down onto the photo album. I tore back the plastic film and took out the picture. I crumpled it into a ball in my hand and took it out to the grill out back, grabbing the grill lighter Charlie kept by the back door. I tossed the ball onto the grate, and set it on fire. As I watched it burn, the smoke curling upward, I felt almost euphoric. _I_ was taking control. _I _was in charge of my life. _I_ was strong and capable and the complete opposite of that girl in the photo. At least I hoped I would be, eventually.

Watching it burn was cathartic to me. It was like a symbol of my life. Everything I knew had gone up in smoke, and what was left was broken and dirty. But like a legendary phoenix, new life would spring forth from my ashes. When the photo was reduced to a charred mess, I went back in the house, replacing the grill lighter. I picked up the album, closed it, and tucked it back into it's space on the shelf. I hoped Charlie wouldn't realize that I had taken the photo out, but even if he did, I knew he'd never say anything about it. I went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, dried it and stood looking at this new stranger in the mirror. I took a deep breath, brushed the ghosts of my past away, and began fixing dinner for Charlie and myself.


	4. Chapter 4 Best Foot Forward

**Disclaimer - All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not own Twilight, or anything for that matter.**

**A/N: Please review!! I'd love any and all feedback! Thanks so much for reading!!!**

Chapter 4 - Best Foot Forward

BPOV

I had a very tough time getting to sleep that night. I felt emotionally exhausted from my encounter with the photograph earlier. I laid awake reading for a while, trying to banish the image that was now burned into my brain, but it did little to occupy my mind. My train of thought kept going back to my past and the memories that surfaced were not fond ones. It was getting late and I really wanted to get some halfway decent sleep before starting at my new school the next day.

I put the book down, clicked off my reading lamp and turned over in bed. I waited and waited and waited, but sleep was just not happening. I tried to do some deep breathing and focus on relaxing every part of my body, starting from my toes and working upwards. Slowly, I began to get sleepy and I drifted off into a fitful slumber ...and dream.

I felt trapped, like my arms were being held down by something, something hard and metallic. I felt like I was under water, and I couldn't breathe. Everything was dark and I could see the faint outlines of shapes whirling past me every which way. I couldn't make out what they were. Suddenly, there was a light that came from above. It started out very dim, but got brighter and brighter until I could finally see that it was not a light at all, it was a shiny silver disco ball, and as it spun, it rained down little silver specks on the spinning forms, which I could now see were couples dancing.

I looked down and saw my black-heeled shoes. Upon further examination I discovered that I was dressed in my prom dress. It was black and fitted throughout the bodice, with a looser skirt that fell to just above my knees. The top was off the shoulder, with a low cut neckline. I could see the tops of my breasts poking up over the shiny black fabric.

A bright glare started flashing in my eyes; it was a photographer, though I could not see a face behind the camera, just the constant flashing. I blinked and blinked, trying to adjust my eyes after the offending bursts. It made my retinas feel like they were on fire. "Smile!!!" the camera figure shouted at me. "Smile, Bella!! SMILE!" The screams were becoming maniacal. "Show the camera how much you love him!!!"

I tried to raise my arms to push the camera out of my face, but they were being pinned down by something cold and hard. I looked down expecting to see manacles on my wrists, but what I saw made bile rise up in my throat. A pair of hands were on mine, holding me down. James. Then a cold steely voice whispered in my ear, "I love you, Bella. I'll never let you go." I tried to scream, but the sound was caught in my throat and -

I woke up, drenched in sweat, and with the covers twisted up all around me. I sat up shaking and trembling and while I knew it was just a dream, no, a nightmare, I still couldn't shake the feeling of pure terror that had invaded me. I got up and went to the window to close it, suddenly afraid of letting some unknown evil force inside of my room. I could see that it was almost dawn by then. Deciding that I would never be able to get to sleep again after that, I crept quietly down the hall, so as to not wake Charlie, to go take a shower.

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By the time Charlie came downstairs dressed for work, I had a morning feast set out on the table. There were eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, and even fresh strawberries. Beside each plate was a tall glass of orange juice.

"Wow, Bella!" Charlie said, amazement in his voice. "You've been pretty busy this morning!"

"You know that they say, breakfast is the most important meal!" I said, stifling a yawn.

"Aw, Bells. You must have gotten up really early to pull this off. Are you nervous about your first day at a new school?" Charlie looked at me with amusement.

"I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep and - yeah, that's probably it, Dad. Just first day jitters." I decided to agree with him. There was no way I was going to tell him what really woke me up.

"It'll be okay, Bella. You were always good at making friends easy when you came here for the summers. And from what your mom says," he said swallowing a mouthful of egg, "you haven't lost your touch!"

I played around with my food for a bit, pushing it around my plate so that Charlie wouldn't notice that I wasn't eating. That proved to be an easy task, as he was focused only on his food. By the time he looked up from his plate, I was already clearing my dishes, scooping a majority of my breakfast into the trash. Charlie took the last gulp of orange juice, pushing his chair back from the table.

"Well, it's about that time, Bella," he said, fastening on his belt with holster. "Have a great day at school, honey. And don't worry, it's like riding a bike!"

"Thanks, Dad. I'll be fine. Have a good day at work!" and with that, Charlie was out the door. I was up so early I had time to clean up all the dishes and still have a chance to work a little on myself before school. I had decided to go low key my first day, so I was wearing jeans and a blue cotton knit long-sleeved t-shirt, with a v-neckline. I went upstairs, intending on doing something with my hair, but I decided to just wear it down naturally. I put on just a touch of eyeliner, some mascara, and a light layer of lip-gloss and I was ready to go. It was still a bit early, but I figured I might as well leave. I could always sit in my truck in the parking lot scoping out my new school. I convinced myself that my dream was not going to ruin the rest of my day and I resolved to put my best foot forward and get on with it.


	5. Chapter 5 Exhibit A

**Disclaimer - All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not own Twilight, or anything for that matter.**

**A/N - Keep the reviews coming!! I love to hear how you think I'm doing and also get constructive criticism!**

Chapter 5 - Exhibit A

BPOV

I pulled into the parking lot of Forks High School and sat there absorbing everything for a few minutes. I knew it was small, but I wasn't quite prepared for exactly how small it was. Comparing it to my old school, it was like comparing a quartet to a full orchestra. Few other cars were parked this early, but I knew I had to go to the office to sign in and get my schedule, so I decided I may as well get a move on.

I stepped inside the office and got a warm greeting from an elderly lady behind the counter. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Isabella. We just love Chief Swan and everyone has been waiting for your arrival!"

"Bella," I corrected her. I wondered just who "everyone" was. I thanked her as I took my schedule and headed out to find my first class.

I was prepared to get a lot of unwanted attention, being new and all, but I didn't quite expect what came next. A tall girl with masses of curly ringlets all over her head bounded up to me, almost the second I stepped out of the office.

"Hi! Isabella Swan, right?" she asked enthusiastically. "I'm Jessica Stanley. Nice to meet you!"

I almost groaned aloud when I realized "everybody" literally meant everybody. Everywhere I turned, there were students stopping in their tracks to get their first look at me. With the exception of one kid who was walking away from his silver Volvo headed towards the building, every single other student had their eyes on me and me alone. I'd never had a problem with being the center of attention, but this was ridiculous. It was like I was on display, and it made me feel very uncomfortable.

"It's Bella," I replied. At least she had the backbone to actually come up and speak to me, rather than just standing there staring at me. "So, I take it I'm the public spectacle today, eh?"

She flashed a toothy grin. "You know how it is in small towns," she said rolling her eyes, "having a new girl is a big deal. Everyone's been talking about you for days!"

I found little comfort in her words. She seemed nice enough, though, so I let her look at my schedule and found that she was also in my first period class. As we walked towards the room, she jabbered on, dishing all the good and bad about Forks High. I guess it was silly of me to have worried that no one would accept me. On the contrary, it seemed like they were all dying to know more about me. Jessica introduced me to several other students as we approached our class. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

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So far, I had made it through until lunch relatively unscathed. While I wasn't particularly enjoying the stares, it was becoming easier to ignore them. I figured all the excitement would die down soon enough and I'd be able to walk down the hall without causing cervical damage to everyone as they craned their necks to see me. I decided that when someone was eyeing me, the best thing to do was to give a big smile. At least I wouldn't get accused of being stuck up, big city girl and all.

As I walked into the cafeteria, Jessica immediately flagged me down. She pulled up a chair for me to sit with her and a bunch of other kids she'd introduced me to earlier. I'd need to do a better job of learning their names for sure. I grabbed a tray, got some nasty looking pizza and walked over to sit down with them. They all seemed like a nice bunch and I could see myself feeling comfortable socializing with them. It was definitely better than eating at a table by myself being eyed by everyone around me.

The table talk was mostly gossip about who was seen with who, whose parents had grounded them for what, and rumor that two of the teachers were seen kissing in Port Angeles. A girl, Angela, started talking about the upcoming dance. Her and Erik, the boy on her left, were on the committee in charge of planning it. I thought about the last dance I had gone to in Phoenix and felt a cold shiver run up my spine. My mind jumped back to the nightmare I'd had the night before, and I could almost feel James' breath on my neck. I blinked and realized that they were all looking at me.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Hellooooo, Earth to Bella!" Jessica said. A chorus of giggles from the others followed.

"Sorry, just lost in thought," I responded, a blush creeping into my cheeks. "What was the question?"

"The spring formal!! Are you gonna go or what?" Erik asked.

"Um..." I stammered, "Yeah, I don't think so."

"Why not?" asked the boy, Mike.

"Yeah, Newton's curious to know," he teased, "because he doesn't have a date yet!"

At that, Mike threw a wadded up napkin at Erik's head. They all looked at me waiting for my answer.

"Um.... I don't dance." I left it at that.

Thankfully, the discussion then turned to what it was like in Phoenix. I wasn't really up for sharing much, but I was happy with the subject change. I realized that many of them hadn't been anywhere else even in travel, much less living in a different place. The questions had a wide range, from what kind of car I drove there, to what my mom did, to why wasn't I tan, to school life. I skirted around topics that were uncomfortable to me.

Just then, Jessica interrupted the conversation, blurting out, "Oh...My...God!!! He's looking right at you!"

I followed her gaze across the cafeteria to a table in the corner. There sat one of the most gorgeous guys I've ever had the privilege of laying my eyes upon. He had bronze hair, situated on his head in a style that was unfamiliar to me, yet looked like it belonged on him. He was lean and muscular looking, with chiseled, angular features. He looked way out of place for high school, more like he was a Greek god. And yes, he was staring at me, his piercing gaze almost burning my skin. I recognized him as the sole student who wasn't interested in my appearance that morning.

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. "So, what's the big deal?" I tried to play it off. "It's not like _everyone_ hasn't been staring at me all day."

"You don't get it," Angela began.

"Yeah, that's _Edward Cullen_," Jessica finished her sentence. I couldn't help but notice the awe in her voice as she spoke his name. "He is like, Forks High's most beautiful male. Except, he has never dated a single girl in this school. He's never even shown any of them one iota of interest!"

"That's right," added a girl, Lauren. "He's just too good for the rest of us." She scowled at me, as if I had given Edward a written invitation to eyeball me from across the room.

Just then, the bell signaling the end of lunch rang, and I was more than happy to throw away my trash and head out of there. I don't know what it was, but it was like I could feel his eyes on me. I wanted to turn to him and stare back at him, to get him to turn away, but part of me was scared. I know it was unreasonable for me to feel that way, so I tried to shrug it off as I made my way to biology.

**A/N - Thanks again for reviews. And don't worry, Edward is coming in the next chapter!!**


	6. Chapter 6 Twist of Fate

**Disclaimer - All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not own Twilight, or anything for that matter.**

**A/N - Sorry it took a while to get this updated. I haven't been able to get logged in to this site for most of the weekend. Love those reviews!!**

Chapter 6 - Twist of Fate

Much to my dismay, Mike "needs a prom date" Newton was also in my biology class. I had to deal with his gawking and practically drooling over me all the way there. I was so paranoid that I'd have to sit by him too. Since I was going with the "no guys" approach, I really had no use for the kid and didn't want to string him along or give him the wrong idea. At the same time, I didn't want to be outwardly rude. In a small town like Forks, it would not be prudent to make an enemy my first day at school.

I walked in and handed my slip to the teacher and was quite pleased to find out that there were assigned seats. A huge wave of relief washed over me. That relief was very short-lived however, when the teacher pointed me out to the only open stool in the room, right next to none other than Edward Cullen. I gave a sigh and walked around the table, giving Edward as wide a berth as possible.

I was annoyed at having to be a lab partner to _him._ Maybe it would be for the best since _he_ allegedly thought _he_ was too good for any of the girls at Forks High School. I had known his type before, and they disgusted me. But then again, the way he looked at me, staring from across the cafeteria, it left me feeling very unsettled. I sat down, with the full intention of absorbing myself in my textbook following along with whatever was being taught that day. Then, as if _that_ weren't a cruel enough twist of fate for the day, the teacher announced that we'd be doing a team project, something to do with slides and a microscope. Great, just great. Now I'd actually have to interact with him.

"Bella, right?" His voice had a beautiful melodious tone to it.

"Yeah, that's me," I responded, trying to avoid making eye contact. It struck me that he used my preferred name rather than calling me _Isabella,_ which was how every other person in this school referred to me until I corrected them. I guess word did get around fast here.

"Nice to meet you, Bella. I'm Edward. Edward Cullen."

"Yeah, I heard," I said with a judgmental tone.

His eyebrows went up as he tried to decipher the meaning of that. _There,_ I thought. _That ought to discourage him from even trying._

I didn't even bother to wipe the scowl off my face as Edward pushed the microscope in my direction.

"Ladies first!" he said, cheerfully.

As I reached for the microscope, our fingers brushed. I was not expecting the jolt of electricity that seemed to burn into my hand. This could not be a good sign. I could almost feel my wall of self-defense being constructed brick by brick. I wiped the sweat from my palms onto my jeans, looked in the microscope, and wrote down the required information. I used the back of my hand to push it back to the middle of the table, very careful to not make any contact with his skin.

 He glanced at me, a puzzled look on his face, and then pulled the microscope over the rest of the way to his side. "It's anaphase," he said.

"I know, I already wrote that down."

The rest of the hour went much the same way, us passing the microscope back and forth, me making sure we didn't touch again, doing our assignment. I wondered if he had felt the same thing I had when our hands had accidentally touched. He didn't seem to think anything of it. Then I wondered if I was going nutso. As soon as the bell ran, I was up and out of my seat making a beeline towards the door.

Mike Newton stepped in front of me, blocking the entrance. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to deny my instinctual panic.

"So, Bella," Mike said in what I could only assume was his "get a girl" voice.

I was not in the mood to deal with this, and I felt like I needed to get out of that room or I'd suffocate. I gave myself a mental pep talk, gritted my teeth, and pushed passed him.

"Sorry, Mike. Gotta run!" I called back to him over my shoulder.

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Charlie had insisted on going to the diner that night for dinner. He was trying to be helpful, not wanting me to have to cook on my first day of school. Too bad that he didn't realize that I'd met my social quota for the day. I felt like I was as much of a spectacle as ever. Being the chief of police, everyone around here knew Charlie, and like everyone at school, it was well known that I was now in town and living with Charlie. Our booth was bombarded again and again by friends and acquaintances of Charlie who just had to get a sight of his "little girl."

I had heard more stories of my childhood from these strangers than I'd ever heard from Charlie himself. Finally, the waitress said, "Back off, boys! Let them eat!" I'd be forever grateful to her.

We ate most of our meal in silence as I sat there and tried to mentally process my day. I thought being in a new place would assist me in making a clean break from my past. It wasn't turning out as easy as I had thought it would be. I realized that some of those things that I'd tried to leave behind were parts of me so ingrained that they had melded to my innermost being. Surprisingly though, I did not feel dismal. I had to believe that I could learn to shut them away in a box so that I could go on with my life and my fresh start. I smiled to myself and looked up and saw Charlie grinning right back at me.

"So, Bells. How was your first day at school?"


	7. Chapter 7 Best Laid Plans

**Disclaimer - All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not own Twilight, or anything for that matter.**

**A/N - I have the next 4 chapters already outlined and planned, but I'd love to know if there is any interest before I carry on. AKA - please please please review!! Don't make me beg, people!**

**Also, I had originally intended on this story being told through both the perspective of Bella and Edward, but as I've been writing it, I think I will just keep it from Bella's perspective. Maybe as a future option, I will do the whole thing from Edward's point of view. (Review me if you like this idea!)**

Chapter 7 – The Best Laid Plans

The rest of the week flew by. Every day was much the same, me avoiding Mike Newton during lunch, biology and any other time he accosted me. I was also perfecting the role of bitch when it came to Edward Cullen. It was a controversy playing out in my own mind. For some reason, I felt drawn to him. I could only assume he felt the same way. After all, he continued to carry on our one-sided conversations and pleasantry when I was treating him like dirt. Yet at the same time, I was terrified to open myself up again. I refused to wear my heart on my sleeve. It was just in too fragile a state after the whole situation in Phoenix, and it was best kept locked away.

Like my days, my nights were becoming pretty predictable as well. I'd get home from school, do my homework, cook dinner, and Charlie and I would eat with minimal conversation other than small talk. As monotonous as my days were, I was becoming very comfortable in my new routine. I thought it was going to take longer for me to feel safe and settled, but this was proving easier than I had imagined.

By Wednesday, I realized that Charlie was inserting Billy and Jacob's names into a lot of our conversation. I would have picked up on it much sooner had I not been ignoring the whole thinking of guys' thing. It was like we were fencing. Charlie would go in to a lunge, and I'd skirt out the way, dodging at the right time, only to make a counterattack of my own, mostly in changing the subject.

Finally, on Thursday, Charlie just came right out and said it.

"Bella, why you go down to the res and hang out with Jacob tomorrow night? A lot of the kids get together and do bonfires and stuff on the beach. Billy and I talked and thought it was a great idea!"

Meaning, he and Billy put their masterminds together and were trying to play matchmaker. I wasn't sure if I should groan, or laugh. The thought of Charlie trying to set me up was pretty hilarious.

"I don't know, Dad. I mean, I have homework and stuff to do, you know?" I know my excuse was lame, but it was the first thing that came into my head.

"Bella, you have all weekend to do your homework." Charlie pointed out the obvious. "Unless you have other weekend plans you didn't tell me about?" He sounded so hopeful I almost felt bad.

"No, I don't, other than getting some laundry and cleaning up done. I just -" I sighed, "I just really don't feel the need to hang out just yet. Still adjusting, you know?" I said weakly. I hoped this was a good enough cop-out.

"Bella, Jake is a really nice kid. You guys had a blast when you were little. You really should get to know him." I felt sorry for Jake, wondering if his father was being as un-relentless as Charlie.

"I'm sure he is, Dad, I just..." I trailed off, trying to come up something, anything to say that would get Charlie to drop it, without giving my real reasons.

"Bella," Charlie eyed me, clearing his throat. "Is it... um... gee... how do I say this..."

"Just spit it out, Charlie."

"Well, okay. Is it that you aren't interested in boys? I mean, that you... um... prefer... well... being with girls?" I didn't think it was possible for a grown man to blush that deep a red. I had to stifle a laugh.

"Dad!!" I yelled, dragging it out. "No!" I said adamantly. "Not that I think there's anything wrong with being a lesbian, that's the word for it, by the way, but no, that is not the case for me. Yes, I am interested in boys, just... not right now," I said, getting very exasperated.

"Okay, Bells. Listen, I know you had a rough breakup in Phoenix, but there comes a time when you have to move on. I'm not trying to push, Bella. I just want to see you happy."

 Poor Charlie. _Rough breakup._ If he only knew the half of it. Even though I was feeling increasingly agitated with this conversation, I knew I had to redeem it somehow.

"I _am_ happy, Dad. I just, well, I just want to be myself for a while. Just Bella Swan, not someone's girlfriend. Does that make sense?" I tried to explain my feelings in a way that he would understand but that wouldn't touch on the deeper issues.

"Okay, Bells." He seemed satisfied. "Will you at least think about it though?" he pushed.

"Yes, Dad. I'll think about it. But I'm not going to make any promises." I hoped that would suffice. I really did not want Charlie to question my mental-well being and emotional health and decide he couldn't handle it and send me back to Renee.

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The next day at lunch, the perfect opportunity arose that would show Charlie that I was indeed doing things a teenaged girl should do, but didn't include any boys or matchmaking.

As usual, the girls were all chattering on and on about prom, and I was dodging Mike's advances, hoping that eventually he'd get the picture. Suddenly, my ears perked up when I heard the word "shopping." Jessica and Angela were planning a shopping trip that evening to Port Angeles, to look for dresses. I wasn't a shop-a-holic or anything, but I got excited. I began formulating a plan of my own.

"Hey, you guys, do you mind if I come with?" I asked. The shocked looks on their faces were priceless.

"Bella!!" Jessica exclaimed. "Have you changed your mind?? Are you going to prom?"

Ugh, I had to clarify because I could already see Mike over in the corner plotting his next move.

"No, I told you guys, I don't dance. But I thought you could use another set of eyes. You know, Forks isn't exactly the fashion capital of the world, but I know what was popular in Phoenix. Besides, there's a book store there that I'd love to check out as well."

My ears rang at Angela's high-pitched squeal. "That's PERFECT, Bella!! Of course you can come!! I just know you'll help us be the best-dressed girls there! We can go out to dinner afterwards, and make it a whole night of fun!!!"

I wasn't sure how much fun it would be to come home with my eardrums bleeding if Angela kept emitting those high pitched torturous sounds. It was the perfect plan though. I'd be killing two birds with one stone. I'd hang out with some girl friends, have female bonding time, which would surely get Charlie off my back. And I'd also be able to stock up on a few books. I wasn't able to bring all of my volumes with me from Phoenix, and my bookshelves had lots of room. I had decided I was doing so well with moving forward that I deserved a little treat to myself.

"That would be awesome!" Jessica agreed. "We'll pick you up at 4:30 then?"

"Perfect."

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I walked into biology cheerfully, quite pleased with myself. It also helped that Mike Newton had to leave after lunch for a doctor's appointment, so I didn't have to worry about dealing with him. I must have had a goofy grin on my face as I sat down on my stool.

"My, my," Edward said, breaking into my thoughts. "You sure look happy today. Got a big date planned for this weekend?"

Ugh. The last thing I wanted was for someone to think I was on cloud nine because I had a crush or something.

"No," I answered him scornfully. I was in such a good mood I decided it wasn't going to kill me to be at least cordial to Edward today. "I just have plans to go to Port Angeles tonight with some friends to go dress shopping."

"Are you going to prom?" he asked. "Who is taking you?" For some reason, he had a worried look on his face.

"No, I am most definitely NOT going to prom," I laughed. "I'm just going to give an opinion." Strange, he almost looked relieved. "And, I'm going to treat myself to a few new books."

His eyes lit up at the word "books." He started to ask me what books I was into, but then the teacher came in and dimmed the lights to start a movie. I was thankful, because I had reached my quota of comfortable conversation with Edward.

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I got home and phoned Charlie, to let him know where I'd be and make sure it was okay with him.

"Hey, Bells! What's up?" he asked me.

"Well, Dad, I have good news and bad news."

"Is everything okay?" he plied.

"Yes, Dad, everything's fine. The bad news is I am not going to go down to the reservation with Jake tonight."

"Oh." Charlie's voice sounded flat.

"But," I countered, "As long as it's okay with you, I'm going to go to Port Angeles to go shopping with some friends, Angela and Jessica. Is that okay, Dad? Pleeeeeease?" I pleaded like a child, knowing Charlie would have a hard time saying no.

"Is that the Weber girl? And Jessica Stanley? Good kids, good parents." I forgot he knew virtually every resident of Forks by name. "Yeah, honey, of course you can go. You have a good time, okay?" 

"Thanks, Dad. You're the best!"

"And Bells?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Be careful. Port Angeles is bigger than Forks, and, well, just be safe."

"Okay, Dad. I will," I promised as I hung up the phone. Now, to get ready.


	8. Chapter 8 Table for Two

**Disclaimer - All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not own Twilight, or anything for that matter.**

**A/N - Okay, I'm begging! Please review!**

Chapter 8 – Table for Two

I decided this occasion called for a wardrobe change. I usually wore plain stuff to school, not wanting to stand out anymore than I had to. However, since I was playing fashion diva giving my style advice to Jess and Ang, I figured I'd have to kick it up a notch. I ended up wearing a different pair of jeans with a cute funky top. The shirt was a little lower cut than I felt comfortable wearing (again, I didn't want to attract unnecessary attention), but I had to admit, I looked pretty good.

Right at 4:30, Jessica pulled in the driveway and honked her horn. I scribbled a quick note to Charlie with directions on how to heat up dinner, shut the door, locked it behind me and half skipped half ran to the car. I opened the rear door and slid into the back seat.

"Wow! Bella! You look absolutely great!" Jessica gushed. "Like, seriously, you should dress like that more often!"

"Yeah, for sure!" Angela added. "And ohmigosh, are you wearing makeup?"

I had added some eye shadow and blush and a darker lip shade to my usual eyeliner and mascara. "Thanks, guys," I said. "But don't expect to seem dressed up so much for just school. This is a special occasion!"

With some high-pitched emissions that only teenaged girls were capable off, we were off. I was a little un-easy heading so far away from Forks, which I felt was my safe haven, and I hoped that I was just being overly dramatic, and that this was not some kind of foreboding of something to go wrong. I shook off my out of place emotions and immersed myself in the topic of conversation. I enjoyed the music and even listening to the gossip and before I knew it, we were in Port Angeles. We found a parking spot and all got out of the car and stretched our legs. It wasn't a bad drive, only a little over an hour, maybe an hour and fifteen minutes tops.

"So, where are we headed?" I asked my two favorite shoppers.

"Alley Cat, for sure," Angela said.

"What's that?" I asked.

Jessica giggled, "Only like _the_ best upscale boutique."

"Wow," I said. "Elite, much?" I joked.

"We have only been saving up for this for like, forever!" Angela said.

"Yeah, do you know how many little brats I had to babysit? We _will_ be the two best dressed girls there!" Jessica added.

"We'd be the best three if you'd come, Bella. Pleeeeease?" Angela whined.

"No way," I responded adamantly. "You may have my shopping services, but nope, not going to prom."

"You can't blame us for trying," Jessica pouted.

Eager to get the subject off of me, I yelled, "Who's ready for some serious shopping?" in my most cheerful voice.

Alley Cat did prove to be very upscale, at least as Forks was concerned. While it was no match for some of the places Renee had dragged me to in Phoenix, they were definitely on top of things fashion-wise. I walked around from rack to rack, pointing out styles that would be flattering to them, ones that wouldn't be so flattering and should be avoided like the plague, as well as colors that would compliment them the best. What can I say; I read a whole lot of fashion magazines in my day.

Shopping with them was fun at first. I loved seeing them try on dresses and parade around in them, asking for my opinion. I was more than happy to yay or nay them. But then I started getting a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. All these dresses just reminded me of my dream, and of my last prom and I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. I jumped up from my seat.

"Listen, guys, you seem to have this under control. Do you mind if I head down to the bookstore on Front Street, Odyssey? I want to grab a couple of books while we're out here."

"Aw, are we boring you, Bella?" Jessica asked, putting on a sad voice.

"No, but what good of a trip is it if I come home empty-handed, right?" I tried to recover.

"Okay, that's fine, Bella. We don't mind. Just meet us at the restaurant. It's Bella Italia. Perfect, right? It's here on this same street, walking distance away."

"Okay," I agreed. "Thanks, ladies. You are the best!"

I stepped out of the shop into the cool air and took the biggest breath I could. Surrounded by all those formal dresses, I felt like I was smothering. I took my time walking down North Laurel heading for Front Street. I had already scoped the area out on the Internet and knew just the place I was looking for. Odyssey had new and used books, so I figured it was perfect for someone on a budget like me.

I found the bookstore easily. Thank goodness for Google Maps, because I had a seriously crappy sense of direction. I opened the door, stepped in and inhaled the almost intoxicating smell of books. I breathed the scent into my nostrils as deeply as I could and set off to browse. I could get lost in a bookstore for hours if I wasn't careful. I had a few picked out and was looking over one last section. I found a copy of a book I had left behind in Phoenix. As I stood mulling over the decision of whether or not to buy it, I did not hear the footsteps coming up behind me.

"Fancy meeting you here," a pleasant, almost melodious voice said.

I gasped, dropped the books I had in my hands and instantly felt the panic rise in my throat, preventing me from taking in a proper breath.

Suddenly I was back in Phoenix. I had decided to make a spontaneous trip to the local Barnes and Noble to stock up on some more reading material to feed my re-discovered love of reading. It was a great way to occupy the time I spent locked up in my room. I had driven, looking carefully behind me every inch of the way making sure I wasn't being followed. Satisfied that I was alone, I had hurried into the bookstore.

I immediately was lost in the books. It had felt like ages since I'd been out without fearing for my mental and physical safety and I felt so free. I was browsing for about an hour when that freedom was cut short. I heard a voice behind me.

"Fancy meeting you here," the voice said with a malevolent undertone.

I gasped, spun around, and was face to face with James. He gripped my upper arms with iron strength, and said, "You can't get away from me, Isabella. I'll always know where you are. Don't forget that. Always." He punctuated that last word with a vise-like squeeze, and left. My hands were shaking so bad I could hardly pay for the books. I could barely get to my car and lock all the doors before I was sobbing. I cried all the way home. When I was safely locked in my room again, I looked in the mirror. I changed out of my tank top into a long-sleeved shirt to hide the bruises James had left on my arms.

"Bella, it's me, Edward. From biology, remember?" Edward was looking at me with a strange look on his face.

I remembered to breath and rejoiced at the feeling of the air flowing through my lungs.

"Edward!" I said sounding all breathy. Great. He probably thought I was swooning over him or some such nonsense. "What are you doing here? Are you following me?" My voice was starting to rise in panic and I had to talk myself down so as not to cause a scene.

"Yes, and no."

"Explain," I said, trying to sound normal.

"Well, I had to come down here anyway to pick up something for Carlisle, and I remembered you talking about a book store down this way. Being a book lover, myself, I wanted to check it out. Not much of a selection in Forks you know."

I just stood there.

"So yes, in a sense I was following you because you told me about it, but no, I was not trying to find you, just the bookstore," he explained.

I looked blankly out of the window trying to decide how to respond. I saw the dark night sky and -

"Crap!" I shouted.

"What?" Edward asked, bending over to pick up the stack of books I had dropped when he startled me.

"I lost track of time. I was supposed to meet Angela and Jessica at that Italian place on 1st Street a half hour ago."

"Bella Italia?" he asked, chuckling.

 "Yeah, I know," I giggled, "It was their choice. But the point is, I'm late."

"Well, come on, I'll walk you down there."

"It's no problem. I can walk alone," I say, hoping I don't look as freaked out as I feel at this point.

I paid for my books and we walked out of the door together. I just stood there. It was dark. In my world, bad things happened in the dark. I was frozen in place trying to decide what to do.

"So, are you going to walk, or just stand there?" Edward asked me with a crooked grin on his face.

I had two choices. I could take him up on his offer, appearing like a weak female, encouraging him to follow me. Or, I could walk alone. I shuddered at that last thought.

"Just because it's dark," he added, seeming to sense my inner struggle. "Port Angeles is a far cry from Forks, Bella," he said, alluding to the hidden dangers on the dark streets.

I sighed. "Okay, thank you, Edward. That is very... chivalrous of you to offer."

We walked up the street heading back towards the boutique and the restaurant.

"Listen," Edward said. "I'm really sorry that I frightened you back there. I didn't mean to. And I promise I am not some creepy stalker."

If only he knew how close his words hit me. I swallowed a lump in my throat, realizing that my actions probably came off as very inappropriate to the situation. "It's okay. No harm done," I played it off.

Truthfully, I was thankful he showed up. If he hadn't, I'd be walking these dimly lit streets by myself, trying to stave off a panic attack the whole way. Having him next to me, his arm occasionally brushing mine, was strangely comforting. We walked in silence, neither one of us knowing what to say.

As we reached the door of the restaurant, Jessica and Angela came barreling out.

"Bella!" Jessica scolded me. "Where were you? We were SO worried!! I can't believe you don't have a cell phone! You -" she cut off the rest of her words after realizing just who was standing next to me. Angela nudged her in the ribs. I rolled my eyes.

"Wow, Bella! I didn't realize you were meeting someone here tonight!" Angela exclaimed.

"Angela and Jessica, I presume?" Edward said in that beautiful voice of his. "I'm Edward Cullen. It's so nice to meet you." I'd almost swear that his gentlemanly manners came from a different era.

The two girls giggled and flashed their most obnoxious smiles at him.

"Well, we were starving, Bella, so when you didn't show up, we kind of ordered. I hope you don't mind!" Angela said sheepishly.

"It's no big deal," I answered.

"You haven't eaten yet?" Edward inquired. "Well, I know this is spur of the moment, but, would you care to join me this evening?"

I stood there feeling totally put on the spot. It was either suffer through a meal with Edward, or have to deal with the thousands of prying questions from Jessica and Angela. I decided I had a better shot of coming out unscathed from the former option. Edward was very polite and while my brain screamed at me that I was putting myself in a dangerous situation, my heart, for some odd reason, told me that it was okay. Somehow, I inherently knew I'd be safe with Edward.

"That sounds great," I replied casually.

"Okay, then. We'll see you at school on Monday!" Jessica said as she and Angela walked to her car. She jerked her head in Edward's direction and raised her eyebrows up and down in a motion that told me she'd expect a full detailed report. I almost groaned out loud.

Edward held out his arm, I took it, and we walked in together comfortably, like we fit together perfectly as a couple. When the waitress eyed us, I couldn't help but smile in a possessive way as Edward said, "Table for two, please."


	9. Chapter 9 Dinner Companion

**Disclaimer - All characters, etc. belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not own Twilight, or anything for that matter.**

**A/N - This chapter and the next were originally set to be one chapter, but this got a little long, so I am breaking it up. I plan on getting the next one up in a day or so. I am hoping things will pick up now. I've got the outline done for the rest of the story. Review me and tell me what you think!**

Chapter 9 - Dinner Companion

I didn't like the way the waitress was ogling Edward. How rude to blatantly stare when he was obviously here with someone else. I had to fight to not roll my eyes at her. I could imagine what she was thinking. _What is a girl like her doing with a guy like him?_ I mentally chided myself. It's not like this was a date or anything. I felt very annoyed with myself.

Once we were seated, Edward said, "Some friends you have there."

"What do you mean by that?" I said, feeling offended. I agreed they were kind of flaky, but they were my friends after all.

"Well, if they were so worried about you, why did they sit down and eat instead of going to find you? They knew where you were going to be, right?" 

"You have a point there."

"Which brings me to something else. You seriously don't have a cell phone?" he asked me amazedly.

"Nope," I replied.

"Why in the world not?" he pressed. "It's not safe for a girl to be walking around in Port Angeles by herself without at least a phone in case of an emergency."

"Well," I explained, "Charlie had mentioned buying me one, but honestly, I didn't want one."

Edward raised his eyebrows. It probably did sound odd. After all, every teen in Forks walked around with one of those things glued to their ears. Heck, I used to do the same thing back in Phoenix, until James. Now I found freedom in the idea of not being able to be reached.

"Do you have some kind of problem with modern technology?" Edward asked me, curiously.

"Not particularly. I have my reasons, but they're... complicated. Besides, it's not like Forks is that big. They still have pay phones, you know."

"Still, you really should think about getting one. Just to be safe."

I didn't put too much stock into the safety measures of a cell phone. It hadn't helped me in the past.

Just then the waitress came to take our orders. I hadn't even had a chance to glance at the menu. Thankfully I had paid attention when she rattled off the specials.

"I'll take the mushroom ravioli, please." She didn't even look at me as she wrote it down.

"And for you?" she asked Edward, batting her mascara-caked eyelashes, voice dripping with seduction.

"I'll have the same," he answered curtly.

She walked off swaying her hips more than was necessary, looking back to see if he was paying attention. He wasn't. In fact, he was staring at me. I had a sense of self-satisfaction at seeing her pout.

"I'm sorry for that," Edward said.

"Sorry for what?"

"The waitress. How absolutely uncouth to sit there and try to flirt with me while I am sitting with the prettiest girl in Forks."

I almost choked on the sip of soda I was in the process of swallowing.

"Rude, yes. I'm not too sure I agree with the last part though," I said, recovering myself.

"Well, we all have our opinions," he said flashing me a crooked grin. "So, tell me something about yourself, Bella," Edward said. "I've been sitting next to you in biology all this time, but I still know hardly anything about you."

"Not true," I countered. "You know that I don't own a cell phone."

"True. I do know that. I also know that you have an aversion to prom and that you love books, but really, that's about it. Why did you decide to move to Forks?"

"That's kind of complicated." For some reason, I couldn't stand the thought of lying to Edward, but I certainly didn't want to get anywhere close to the truth either.

"Hmmm, you seem like a very complicated girl. But, we've got time and I'm all ears."

He looked at me then with those piercing eyes and I decided it wouldn't kill me to give the bare minimum of details.

"Well," I began, trying to figure out how to formulate my thoughts into words. "Let's just say I was having a rough go of things there and I decided I could really benefit from a change of scenery."

"Now you've got my curiosity peaked."

Our waitress chose that moment to bring out our food and I hoped he'd forget what he just said and we'd have a change of topic. No such luck.

"Mmmmm, this is delicious!" I declared, stuffing my mouth putting off the inevitable.

"Now, now, Bella. I'm not going to let you off that easy!" Edward chuckled. "I've got all sorts of possible scenarios running through my head and I'm dying to know if I'm close with any of them."

"No fair. You have to tell me some of them. Now _I'm_ not going to let _you_ off easy. You tell me three, I'll tell you if you're close."

"And then you tell me the real reason? You know, in case I'm way off base?"

"Deal." I regretted never talking to Edward before. He was a very easy person to talk to, and I almost cringed at how willing I was to open up to him.

"So you needed a fresh start. You don't look like the type to have been in any kind of criminal trouble, so I can cross juvenile delinquent off of my list."

I chuckled. "Nope, no criminal activity. I've never even had so much as a speeding ticket. My father is a police chief, you know."

"Good point. Okay, you won the lottery and the fame was so great that you couldn't take it anymore and had to move to where no one knew you."

"I'm not old enough to play the lottery, Edward. Besides, if I had an exorbitant amount of money, I would surely pick someplace cooler than Forks to move to!"

"Okay, down to my last guess then. You had a sex change operation. You used to be "Bill" but now you're "Bella" and due to the scandal, you had to leave town."

I burst out giggling at the obscenity of that thought. "Okay, funny boy. Nice, real nice, but nope, not even close."

"So, Bella," he asked, more sincerely now that the ice was fully broken. "Why _did_ you move to Forks? I really can't think of what more Forks has to offer than Phoenix."

"I had a boyfriend," I began, trying not to sound as flat as I felt inside. "It was a pretty serious relationship and -" this was harder than I thought it was going to be. I took a sip of soda and continued. "The break-up was pretty bad. So, I decided to move here to Forks to stay with Charlie, er, my Dad, so I could have a change of pace." There, I'd said it. I purposely left out the part about the abuse and the stalking, but I'd done it. A smile lit up my face as I realized how good it felt to tell someone that. Edward was the first person in Forks to know my secret.

"Boy trouble. I guess that doesn't surprise me," Edward said.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Bella, you're beautiful. Any boy in Forks would be happy to have you as a girlfriend. I'm sorry you got your heart broken. It must have been awful to pick up and move," he said sincerely.

"Thanks. There are other details, but I really don't like to talk about them."

"I understand." And he did. He reached out as if to touch my hand, but had seconds thoughts and withdrew it. "Well, you told me a bit about you, so it's my turn to tell you a little about me."

Edward told me about his childhood, how his father had died when he was a child in a work-related accident. How he and his mother became this strong unit, always saying they could conquer anything as long as they did it together. Then he talked about how his mother had fallen ill and by the time she got medical attention for herself, it was too late. I felt my eyes getting wet. His aunt and uncle, his father's brother and wife, Esme and Carlisle Cullen took him in, and he'd lived with them ever since. Having been an only child, he said it was hard at first to get used to having two "brothers" as he referred to them, and 2 "sisters," but he said they were wonderful and he was so thankful to have been given that second chance at a family.

When he was done, I felt the tears slipping out of my eyes. It was my turn to reach for his hand, and then pull mine away, wondering if it was inappropriate or not.

"Thank you so much for sharing all that with me, Edward. It really means a lot to me. I know you hardly know me, but, it was like you just showed me part of your soul."

"You showed me part of yours first, Bella," he said. We sat there for a few minutes before the waitress came over clearing her throat, impatient for us to leave because we had finished our meal long before.

"I guess we should get going," Edward said.

We walked out of the restaurant and I was amazed at how chilly it had gotten. I shivered deeply, thinking of my jacket, which I had left in Jessica's car. It was probably back in Forks already.

"We should get in the car and turn on the heat!" Edward said. "Come on, I'm parked over down this way."

I stopped, frozen in my tracks. Having dinner with Edward hadn't bothered me. It was in a nice public place. But I had forgotten about transportation home. The thought of being alone, in a car, with a boy made my inner conscience scream. He stood there looking at me, probably wondering why I wasn't walking. I took several deep breaths, trying to push down the panic that was rising inside of me. _Edward is not James. Edward is not James. Edward is not James._ I repeated that over and over in my mind.

"Um, are you coming?" Edward asked me.

"Yes, I am," I responded, gritting my teeth and fighting my inner turmoil.


End file.
